National Artist

Fernando Cueto Amorsolo (born Fernando Amorsolo y Cueto; May 30, 1892
– April 24, 1972)
 He was a portraitist and painter of rural Philippine landscapes. Nicknamed the "Grand
Old Man of Philippine Art, he was the first-ever to be recognized as a National Artist of
the Philippines. He was recognized as such for his "pioneering use of impressionistic
technique" as well as his skill in the use of lighting and backlighting in his paintings,
"significant not only in the development of Philippine art but also in the formation of
Filipino notions of self and identity."
 Fernando Amorsolo was born on May 30, 1892, in Paco, Manila. His parents were Pedro
Amorsolo and Bonifacia Cueto. His father quickly found work in Daet, Camarines Norte
months after Fernando`s birth, and the family lived there until his father died when
Amorsolo was 11. While he studied in a public school in Daet, his parents taught him to
read and write Spanish at home.
 After graduating from the University of the Philippines, Amorsolo worked as a draftsman
for the Bureau of Public Works as a chief artist at the Pacific Commercial Company and
as a part-time instructor at the University of the Philippines. He taught at the University
for 38 years, including 14 years as director of the Art Department. After three years as an
instructor and commercial artist, Amorsolo was given a grant to study at the Academia de
San Fernando in Madrid, Spain by Filipino businessman Enrique Zóbel de Ayala. During
his seven months in Spain, Amorsolo sketched at museums and along the streets of
Madrid experimenting with the use of light and color. Still through the Zóbel grant,
Amorsolo was also able to travel to New York City, where he encountered postwar
impressionism and cubism which would become major influences on his work.

Styles and Techniques

Women and landscapes
 Amorsolo is best known for his illuminated landscapes, which often portrayed traditional
Filipino customs, culture, fiestas and occupations. His pastoral works presented "an
imagined sense of nationhood in counterpoint to American colonial rule" and were
important to the formation of Filipino national identity. He was educated in the classical
tradition and aimed "to achieve his Philippine version of the Greek ideal for the human
form." In his paintings of Filipina women, Amorsolo rejected Western ideals of beauty in
favor of Filipino ideals and was fond of basing the faces of his subjects on members of
his family.
  Amorsolo used natural light in his paintings and developed the backlighting technique,
Chiaroscuro, which became his artistic trademark and his greatest contribution to
Philippine painting. In a typical Amorsolo painting, figures are outlined against a
characteristic glow, and intense light on one part of the canvas highlights nearby details.
Philippine sunlight was a constant feature of Amorsolo's work; he is believed to have
painted a rainy-day scene only once.

Sketches
 Amorsolo was an incessant sketch artist, often drawing sketches at his home, at Luneta
Park, and in the countryside. He drew the people he saw around him, from farmers to
city-dwellers coping with the Japanese occupation. Amorsolo's impressionistic
tendencies, which may be seen in his paintings as well, were at their height in his
sketches. His figures were not completely finished but were mere "suggestions" of the
image.

Historical paintings and portraits

 Amorsolo also painted a series of historical paintings on pre-Colonial and Spanish
Colonization events. Amorsolo's Making of the Philippine Flag, in particular, was widely
reproduced. His The First Baptism in the Philippines required numerous detailed sketches
and colored studies of its elements. These diverse elements were meticulously and
carefully set by the artist before being transferred to the final canvas. For his pre-colonial
and 16th-century depiction of the Philippines, Amorsolo referred to the written accounts
of Antonio Pigafetta, other available reading materials, and visual sources. He consulted
with the Philippine scholars of the time, H. Pardo de Tavera and Epifanio de los Santos.
His work on historical periods, especially his most famous work in popular culture,
Confeccion de la Standarte Nacionale or Making of the Philippine Flag in 1955, has been
frequently reproduced in commercial goods and has become a mainstay in Filipino
popular culture.

World War II-era works

 After the onset of World War II, Amorsolo's typical pastoral scenes were replaced by the
depictions of a war-torn nation. During the Japanese occupation of the Philippines during
World War II, Amorsolo spent his days at his home near the Japanese garrison, where he
sketched war scenes from the house's windows or rooftop. During the war, he
documented the destruction of many landmarks in Manila and the pain, tragedy and death
experienced by Filipino people, with his subjects including "women mourning their dead
husbands, files of people with pushcarts and makeshift bags leaving a dark burning city
tinged with red from fire and blood." Amorsolo frequently portrayed the lives and
suffering of Filipina women during World War II. Other World War II-era paintings by
Amorsolo include a portrait in absentia of General Douglas MacArthur as well as self-
 portraits and paintings of Japanese occupation soldiers. In 1948, Amorsolo's wartime
paintings were exhibited at the Malacañang Palace.

Major works

 Babaeng Nagbabasa
 Afternoon Meal of the Workers (Noonday Meal of the Rice Workers) (1939)
 Assassination of Governor Bustamante
 Bataan
 The Bombing of the Intendencia (1942)
 The Building of Intramuros
 Burning of the Idol
 The Burning of Manila (1946)
 El Ciego (1928)
 Confeccion de la Standarte Nacionale (Making of the Philippine Flag) (1955)[27]
 The Conversion of the Filipinos (1931)
 Corner of Hell
 Dalagang Bukid (1936)
 Defense of a Filipina Woman's Honor (1945)
 La destruccion de Manila por los salvajes japoneses (The Destruction of Manila by
the Savage Japanese)
 Early Filipino State Wedding
 Early Sulu Wedding (c. 1955–1960)
 The Explosion (1944)
 The First Baptism in the Philippines (1949)
 The First Mass in the Philippines
 Fruit Gatherer (1950)
 Fruit Pickers Harvesting Under the Mango Tree (1939)
 Maiden in a Stream (1921)
 Marca Demonio/St. Michael the Archangel (1917)
 The Mestiza (1943)
 My Wife, Salud (1920; lost in World War II)[28]
 One Casualty
 Our Lady of Light (1950)
 Planting Rice (Multiple versions: 1946, 1949 with Mayon, 1951)
 Princess Urduja
 The Rape of Manila (1942)
 Rice Planting (1922)
 Sale of Panay
 Sikatuna
 Sunday Morning Going to Town (1958)
 US Senator Warren Magnuson Oil Portrait (1958)
 Traders
  El violinista (The Violinist)
 Sunrise (1958)

Achivement and Awards

 1908 – 2nd Prize, Bazar Escolta (Asocacion Internacional de Artistas), for Levendo

Periodico
 1922 – 1st Prize, Commercial and Industrial Fair in the Manila Carnival
 1929 – 1st Prize, New York's World Fair, for Afternoon Meal of Rice Workers (also
known as Noonday Meal of the Rice Workers)
 1940 – Outstanding University of the Philippines Alumnus Award
 1959 – Gold Medal, UNESCO National Commission[8]
 1961 – Rizal Pro Patria Award[8]
 1961 – Honorary Doctorate in the Humanities, from the Far Eastern University
 1963 – Diploma of Merit from the University of the Philippines
 1963 – Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award, from the City of Manila
 1963 – Republic Cultural Heritage Award
 1972 – Gawad CCP para sa Sining, from the Cultural Center of the Philippines[14]
In 1972, Fernando Amorsolo became the first Filipino to be distinguished as the Philippine's
National Artist in Painting. He was named as the "Grand Old Man of Philippine Art" during
the inauguration of the Manila Hilton's art center, where his paintings were exhibited on January
23, 1969.

Napoleon "Billy" Veloso Abueva (January 26, 1930 – February 16, 2018)
 He was known as the "Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture" Through Proclamation
No. 1539. He was proclaimed National Artist for Sculpture in 1976 when he was 46,
making him the youngest recipient of the award to date.
 Billy Abueva, as he was fondly called, was born in Tagbilaran, Bohol, to Teodoro Lloren
Abueva, born in Duero, Bohol, a Bohol congressman and Purificación González Veloso,
born in Cebu, president of the Women's Auxiliary Service. Abueva had six other brothers
and sisters: Teodoro Jr., Purificacion, José, Amelia Martinez, Teresita Floro, and
Antonio. Born Esabelio Veloso Abueva, he was named after the younger sister of his
paternal grandmother, Isabel. He assumed the name Napoleon at the age of six, when as a
student at the St. Joseph Academy in Tagbilaran, one of the nuns first called him
Napoleon after Napoleon Bonaparte. The name stuck, and ever since, Abueva referenced
the quote from Napoleon: "If I weren't a conqueror, I would wish to be a sculptor."
Abueva graduated in high school at the Rafael Palma College (now the University of
Bohol) in 1949. He earned his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Sculpture at the UP School of
Fine Arts (now UP College of Fine Arts/UPCFA) in 1953 as one of the second batch of
Fine Arts students who moved from the old campus in Padre Faura to Diliman. He was
mentored by fellow National Artist for Sculpture Guillermo Tolentino.
Styles and Techniques
 At 46 then, Napoleon V. Abueva, a native of Bohol, was the youngest National Artist
awardee. Considered as the Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture, Abueva helped shape
the local sculpture scene to what it is now. Being adept in either academic
representational style or modern abstract, he has utilized almost all kinds of materials
from hardwood (molave, acacia, langka wood, ipil, kamagong, palm wood and bamboo)
to adobe, metal, stainless steel, cement, marble, bronze, iron, alabaster, coral and brass.
Among the early innovations, Abueva introduced in 1951 was what he referred to as
“buoyant sculpture” — sculpture meant to be appreciated from the surface of a placid
pool. In the ’80s, Abueva put up a one-man show at the Philippine Center, New York.
His works have been installed in different museums here and abroad, such as The
Sculpture at the United Nations headquarters in New York City.

Major works
 Recognized as the “Father of Modern Philippine Sculpture”, Abueva helped shape the
local sculpture scene to what it is now. He used almost all kinds of materials for his
sculptures such as hard wood, adobe, metal, stainless steel, cement, marble, bronze, iron,
alabaster, coral and brass. He was the first Filipino artist to mount a one-man exhibit at
the Philippine Center in New York in 1980. Some of his major works include Kaganapan
(1953), Kiss of Judas (1955), Thirty Pieces of Silver, The Transfiguration (1979), Eternal
Garden Memorial Park, UP Gateway (1967), Nine Muses (1994), UP Faculty Center,
Sunburst (1994)-Peninsula Manila Hotel, the bronze figure of Teodoro M. Kalaw in front
of National Library, and murals in marble at the National Heroes Shrine, Mt. Samat,
Bataan.
 Kaganapan (1953)
 Kiss of Judas (1955)
 UP Gateway (1967)
 Thirty Pieces of Silver
 The Transfiguration (Eternal Gardens Memorial Park) (1979)
 Sandugo (Blood Compact)
 Mini-Waterfalls (Legaspi Towers 300) (~1980)
 The Fredesvinda (Fort Canning Park – Singapore) (1982)
 Siyam na Diwata ng Sining (Nine Muses) (1994)
 UP Faculty Center
 Sunburst (The Peninsula Manila Hotel) (1994)

 His Sandugo or Blood Compact shrine in Barangay Bool, Tagbilaran City is a landmark
at the site of the first international treaty of friendship between Spaniards and
Filipinos.His son, Mulawin Abueva, performed the death mask procedure of opposition
leader Ninoy Aquino in 1983 while the elder Abueva made the death mask of Fernando
 Poe, Jr. in 2004. Both masks are now displayed at the Center for Kapampangan Studies,
Holy Angel University, in Angeles Pampanga. He also made a death mask of Cardinal
Sin.

Achievement and Awards

 First Prize, Sculptural Exhibition by the Art Association of the Philippines (1951)
 First Prize in the Fifth Annual Art Exhibition (1974)
 First Prize and Special Award on the Fourth Sculptural Exhibition (1952)
 Awardee, "The Unknown Political Prisoner" in the International Sculpture
Competition by the Institute of Contemporary Arts, London (1953)
 First Prize and Special Award, Kaganapan (Marble), in the Semi-Annual Art
Exhibition by the Art Association of the Philippines (1953)
 First Prize, "Kiss of Judas" (Wood) in the Religious Art Exhibition in Detroit,
Michigan, USA (1955)
 Purchase Prize, "Water Buffalo" (Marble), in the Annual Show, at St. Louis,
Missouri, USA (1956)
 First Prize, "Figure" (Wood) in the Annual Show of the Art Association of the
Philippines (1957)
 Most Outstanding Alumnus of the School of Fine Arts, U.P. Golden Jubilee (1958)
 Republic Award for Sculpture (1959)
 Ten Outstanding Young Men of the Philippines (TOYM) Awardee in Sculpture
(1959)
 Winner, U.P. Gateway Design Competition (1962)
 Winner, Cultural Heritage Award (1966)
 ASEAN Awards for Visual Arts in Bangkok (1987)
 Fourth ASEAN Achievement Award for Visual Arts in Singapore (July 1995).

Carlos Modesto "Botong" Villaluz Francisco (November 4, 1912 – March 31,

1969)
 He was a Filipino muralist from Angono, Rizal. Francisco was a most distinguished
practitioner of mural painting for many decades and best known for his historical pieces.
He was one of the first Filipino modernists along with Galo Ocampo and Victorio C.
Edades who broke away from Fernando Amorsolo's romanticism of Philippine scenes.
According to restorer Helmuth Josef Zotter, Francisco's art "is a prime example of linear
painting where lines and contours appear like cutouts."
 Francisco served as the production designer for the 1961 film adaptation of José Rizal's
Noli Me Tángere. He was responsible for the discovery of the now famous Angono
 Petroglyphs in 1965. He was also involved in Costume Design in Philippine cinema. His
great works include portrayals of the Blood Compact, First Mass at Limasawa, The
Martyrdom of Rizal, Bayanihan, Magpupukot, Fiesta, Bayanihan sa Bukid, Sandugo,
Portrait of Purita, The Invasion of Limahong, Serenade, and Muslim Betrothal. Some of
his murals have suffered big damage over the years. The "Pageant of Commerce"
emerged from several years of restoration in 2000.

Styles and Techniques

 Francisco, along with Edades and Ocampo were commissioned to do a number of murals
that featured stylized figures in flowing, serpentine lines. Through these works, the
artists contributed towards developing a Filipino imagery, drawing inspiration from the
customs and traditions of the Philippine people, as well as from familiar environments.
Francisco employed bold folk colors, rhythmic lines, and decorative patterns. He evoked
the communal life of Philippine gatherings and celebrations. His images were drawn
from mythology, history, legend, and from contemporary Philippine village life.
Francisco created many murals throughout his career.

Major works

 The Progress of Medicine in the Philippines, 1953

 The Nose Flute, 1955
 Harana, 1957
 Gethsemane, 1958
 The Fiesta of Angono, 1960
 Bayanihan, 1962
 Progress through Education, 1964
 Filipino Struggles Through History, 1964
 First Mass at Limasawa, 1965
 Camote Diggers (unfinished), 1969
 Tinikling,?
 Hapunan,?
 Maria Makiling,?
Achievement and Awards
  Francisco was recognized multiple times for achievement in visual art, including his
painting “Kaingin” (Swidden), winning first prize in the inaugural national exhibition of
the Art Association of the Philippines (AAP) held at the National Museum in 1948. He
also received the Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award from the City of Manila in
1964 and was proclaimed National Artist in Painting in 1973.
 In 1914, Carlos “Botong” Francisco was born to Felipe Francisco and Maria Villaluz of
Angono, Rizal. Francisco studied at the University of the Philippines School of Fine
Arts. Before the war, he did illustrations for the Tribune and La Vanguardia, and later,
with Victorio Edades and Fermin Sanchez painted sets for the Manila Grand Opera
House, and the Clover Theater. After WWII, Francisco taught at the University of Santo
Tomas, simultaneously working in filmmaking with Miguel Conde, as the scriptwriter
and costume designer.
 Francisco was also a member of the “Thirteen Moderns,” a group formed in 1938. He
belonged to the first generation of Philippine modernists, with Edades and Galo B.
Ocampo, who pioneered the directional shift of Philippine art from the Amorsolo school
to the emerging Modern art movement.
 1st prize at The Exhibition of the Art Association of the Philippines
 National Museum, 1948 Patnubay ng Sining at Kalinangan Award (Stalwart of Art
and Culture)
 1964 Philippine National Artist, 1973

References:
Fernando Cueto Amorsolo

1.  "LOOK: Amorsolo statue, other landmarks at Loyola Memorial Park". The Philippine

Star. 1 November 2018. Retrieved 8 April 2019.
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9. ^ Frank Castle, Castle Fine Arts, expert appraiser on the Antiques Roadshow, PBS,
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21 at the Wayback Machine. Lopez Memorial Museum (2003). Retrieved June 30, 2007.
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 24. ^ "Lot 39: FERNANDO AMORSOLO (1892 - 1972) - Planting Rice". Salcedo Auctions.
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25. ^ Fernando Amorsolo on Instagram
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Napoleon "Billy" Veloso Abueva

1.  [1] Archived 15 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine

2. ^ "Napoleon Veloso-Abueva the first and only Boholano National Artist]". The Bohol
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3. ^ "Two great minds". philstar.com. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
4. ^ "Abueva: A handsome hunk of a book befitting the artist". The Philippine STAR.
Retrieved 2015-10-04.
5. ^ "Marble Sculpture from France". nga.gov. Retrieved 2015-10-04.
6. ^ "In Focus: An Interview with National Artist for Sculpture Napoleon
Abueva". National Commission for Culture and the Arts. Retrieved 2019-02-07.
7. ^ Edson C. Tandoc Jr. Poe 'smiling' in death mask, Philippine Daily Inquirer, December
15, 2005.
8. ^ "National Artist Napoleon Abueva dies". CNN Philippines. Retrieved February
16, 2018.
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Bulletin. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
10. ^ "Sun.Star Cebu - Cebu Plaza Hotel launches Abueva Art Lounge logo
tilt". www.sunstar.com.ph. Archived from the original on 30 September 2007.
Retrieved 13 January 2022.

Carlos Modesto "Botong" Villaluz Francisco 

1.  Francisco, Carlos Modesto (1989). Botong: Alay at Alaala. Coordinating Center for

the Visual Arts of the Cultural Center of the Philippines. p. 1. ASIN B0006EWXAK.
2. ^ Jump up to:a b Alex Y. Vergara (July 24, 2000) "How to Save a Botong
Francisco," Philippine Daily Inquirer [1] [2]
3. ^ "Cultural Aim Behind New Arriva-Bayanihan Film Organization". Kislap Movies.
June 1961. pp. 124–25.
4. ^ Allison Lopez (August 30, 2007) "Art docs work on ‘dying’ Botong murals in
PGH," Inquirer
5. ^ Nikki Francisco (September 26, 2017) "10 Must-See Masterpieces at the National
Museum of the Philippines" Spot.ph